Bag-filling apparatus



0d.. 23, 1923. www@ O. P. SMITH BAG FILLING APPARATUS Filed March l. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A [TUR N E Y.

@et 23, w23. imams f o. P. SMITH y* BAG FILLING APPARATUS Filed March l. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NQ A INVEN TOR.

v I' ATTORNEY.

Patented @et 23, i923.

narran l l? e OLIVER I). SMITH, OF EOBCLAATD, OREGON.

BAG-FILLNG APPARATUS.

To all whom t may concern Y Beit known that l, @Livra SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of llfultnomah and State of Gregori, have invented certain new and useful improvements in a Bag-Filling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in platforms for flour, feed and grain packing or sacking apparatus, and more particularly to an automatic regulator therefor.

ln an apparatus of the class mentioned, a platform is generally provided for supporting the package or sack to be filled in position directly under the discharge spout or tube leading from a bin or hopper containing a supply of the flour, feed or grain, also, a mechanism is provided whereby the operator manually controls an operating mechanism for raising the platform after a package or sack is placed on the spout; manually actuates a device controlling the feeding of the material from the spout; and manually operates a lever to throw the feed mechanism to inoperative position, when the package or sack has been filled and the platform lowered.

A principal object of the present invention is therefore to eliminate certain of these manual controlling operations in such apparatus, and to render the same automatic, whereby to increase 'the efficiency of the apparatus, and, consequently, increase total daily output, as well as to render its operation less laborious on the operator of the same.

Briefly, the improved platform and automatic regulator therefor consists in providing the platform with a means whereby the same returns toraised or operative position automatically upon the removal of a vfiled package or sack therefrom, and in its downward movement'a detent on the platform automatically operates a device for vthrowing the packing mechanism to inoperative position, thence leaving only the placing of the package or sack on the discharge spout,

and the starting up of the packing mechanism as the only duties to be performed 'by the operator, the platform a filled package or sack. lt is to be here noted that the time saved by the Vproviding of automatic features of operation, as enumerated, allows for the sewing,

r otherwise securing of the open end of a lowered to position for removal in addition to taking oli' of y lled package vor sack, during which time another package or sack is being filled and from the platform.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the present new and useful construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a packing or filling apparatus and platform showing the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is-a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail showing an adjusting means for the brake band means for controlling the packing mechanism, and platform thereof,

Fig. l is an enlarged detail of the gearing of the packing mechanism,

F ig. 5 is a detail View of one of the actuating levers of the mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail, in elevation, of the side of the platform opposite to that as shown in Fig. 2, and,

Fig. .7 is an enlarged detail of a means for securing the suspending chain of the platform to its winding shaft.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views thereof, the numeral 10 indicates the vertical uprights forming a frame together with spaced blocks 11, for supporting the lower ends of opposite pairs of the uprights 10, the intermediately rearwardly disposed cross pieces o1' blocks 12, the upper similar pieces or blocks 13, the transversely extending lcross pieces or strips lll disposed in the plane of the intermediate pieces or blocks 12, and the upper transversely extending cross pieces or strips which lie in the plane of the pieces or blocks 13. Extending downwardly from its point of connection is a suitable bin or container (not shown) and diagonallylof the upper part of the frame is a material feed tube 16 which connects at its lower end a discharge tube or spout 17, the latter being disposed between the front pair of uprights 10 of the frame. Mounted-for vertical sliding movement between the uprights 10 of the frame is a platform 18, :which has its forward edge extending outwardly of the uprights 10, whereby to be centered with respect to the lspout 17. i The platform 18 is suspended in wardly to points inwardly of the front edge of the same. The supporting elements 19 are suspended by means of chains 20 from a transversely extending shaft 21 which is suitably journalled on .supporting blocks '22 extending between eachpair of rear uprights 10 of the frame, the upper ends of the chains 20,having theirfendlinks en-V gaged in eyes Vformed bythe 'projecting looped ends of substantially inverted 2U- shaped elements-23, the llegs of .which elements 23 are Vpassed through openings formed in the shaft 2.1 and headed as `is j shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

At one Vend' of the .shaft 21, immediately adjacent the outer lfaces of apair ofthe *f band 25, one end of the brake band25 be- Vthereto a counterweight 39, the purpose of uprights of the frame, is secured Vthereon a pulley 24 around which is formed a brake ing secured'. as at 26, to the outer yfface of one of the front uprights 10, andthe other of its ends to an actuatingilever arm 27, the latter having one end' suitablypivoted, as at 28, to the frame support or upright, and its free end provided with an opening in which is engaged one endof an adjustable rod 29.- This adjustable rod isin-the' form of separable sections 29 and 29'1 each having their adjacent ends threaded -to'receive a turn buckle 30. `The sections-291of the adjustable rod has its free end coupled through the medium of acoil .spring 31, to al hand lever 32, the latterfbeing pivoted as at 33, to the `front upright '10 ata point intermediate its end, the rear portion of the same projecting for a distance into the space between the front and rear uprights, and its forward end to a distance beyond the :front of the same and terminating. in a hand grip 34 which projects outward beyond the plane lof the vertical movement of the front yedge ofV the platform,`so as to be accessible to the operator at all times to manipulate .the brake band.

' rlChe oppositeend of the shaft 21 has secured Vthereon a pulley `or drum v35 to .the

face of whichis secured one endofa flexible element or belt 36, which extends upwardly of the forward part of one side of the vframe and Vis trained over a. pulley 37 which is suitably journalled, as at'-138,l .to the outer face of'one of Ythe uprights 10,1the free Y r tending for a distance below the plane .of

end of the exible element of 'belt 36 eX- the pulley or drum '35, and .having secured which construction and arrangement will be hereinafter more fully described.

@Y Y 1,471,928v 'Y and vertically between the .blocks or strips 14.and 15 at the upper frontend of the Y frame is a shaft 42 which has its lower end projecting' into. thefeed tube 16 in line with the vertical center of the discharge spout or tube 17,' for the receptionfof suitable packing element or auger (not'shown). A. beveledgear 43,?Ypreferably of friction gear type as shown, is keyed on the shaft 42 be-V tween the journals 40 and 41,V and is arranged lto contact with a similar' but smaller friction. gearV 44 carried on a powerfrshaft :45, the Vlatter projectin at oneside of the frame and having a pul ey `46 ator adjacent its outer end over which is trained a'belt `47 leading-.toa suitableforce of power (not shown). The end ofthe shaft v45`immediately adjacent the gear' 44 iscarried in a journal 48 which is, in turn, carried on'a lvertical movable shaft or rod 49, the latter being operable to raise and lower the shaft 45 and journal 48 sufiicientto move the gear "44 into and out of contact with the gear` 43. This mechanism 'is interconnected for operation with the brake'band mechanism, Vand is properly manipulated for its Sequence of operation from the hand lever 32,

through the medium of an actuating lever Y Ofwhich is vformed at its inner endwitha forked yoke 51 (see Fig.y 5) for pivotally soA connectingthe rod 49,"as at 52, and, in turn,

the lever 50 is pivoted, as Vat 53, tothe upper facevof the'cross bar 14, the outer end' of the samevprojectedto'one-side of the gframe and having its free Vend connected to the scribed, andY with they platform 18 in its lnormally raised position, the operator draws 'handv lever 32 through the medium of a cona .sack orV otherfsimilar Vcontainer over 'the Y mouth of the spout 17 and, withpower applied through the belt 47 to the pulley-46 andthe shaft 45, grasps the vhand'grip 34 Y of the leverr32 and pushes the same down# shaft 21 under the Ypacking Yaction ofthe Vward, so as to raise the gear 44 into 'l Contact with the Vgeary43, this starts thek material within they bag `or-sajck, and against the .frictional tension ofthe brake band, the latter being resiliently V'tensioned by .within .the same. During the down move ldat.: means of the coil spring 31 so as to allow Y v ment of the platform` 18, the belt 36 is'iwoundV on the pulley or drum 35, and the counter- AAlao nar/neas weight 39 is raised, and when the platform 18 reaches the lower limit of its movement and the iilled bag or sack is removed therefrom, the counterweight immediately acts to unwind the belt 36 from the pulley or drum 35, and turns the shaft 21 in a reverse-d direction for the rewinding of the chain 2O thereon, and thus bringing the platform back to normally raised position. When the platform 18 reaches its lower position, a. detent 55 carried by one of the supports 19 engages the inner projecting end of the lever BEZ-and actuates the same to normal position, which causes a lowering of the gear 411 from meshing with the gear 43 to cut of? power from the packing mechanism, and a loosenin up of the brake band on its pulley 24. he mechanism is now ready for a repeat operation, and during the interval of the filling or packing operation of another bag or sack, and the return of the platform from lowest to highest position, the operator is permitted time to rest from his labors, or to close and secure the mouth of the bag or sack already filled during the previous operation ofthe mechanism.

It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in very specific terms, various changes in details of construction land arrangement of the parts of the same may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed, is

An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a frame, a load carrying platform, means for elevating and lowering said platform, a counter-balanced device and a brake band mechanism acting on said means for respectively moving the platform upwardly and for retarding the downward movement of the platform, a lever .arm pivoted to said frame, a resilient element having one end connected with said lever arm, an adjustable sectional connection connected with said brake band mechanism and with the other end of said resilient element and in connection therewith and said lever arm providing means for shifting said brake bandV mechanism to active position, and meansI operated from said lever arm for connecting and disconnecting said drive from a power source.

1n testimony whereof I aliix my signature' hereto.

OLIVER P. SMITH. 

